There you have it: with little fanfare and barely a second to think twice, regret, or do anything differently, the first 25 years of my life have gone by (in a flash).

Poof. Zip. Bang. Done.

So now that the first quarter century is over, what lessons have I learned – or not – that I can apply to the next quarter?  Here’s a smattering that come to mind:

Awareness is key.

I sometimes feel like I spent the first 18 or so years of my life totally unaware of everything around me, of life’s infinite possibilities. Sure, I was consistently told to reach high (”You’ll be amazing!”, “You’ll do great things!”, “Dream big and you can do it!”), but it’s only very recently that I feel I have come to appreciate these truisms. Which leads me to the next lesson:

It’s never too late.

Ok, so I was late to the party.  Like the guy who gets pubes last, or the 40-year old virgin, I feel like I kinda missed the boat on some of this stuff.  Not all of it, to be fair (living in 10+ countries made sure that I got a leg up in many respects), but until recently I consistently felt like everyone around me had their shit together more than I.  These days, it’s not as if I’ve pulled ahead or anything, but more that I see that most of us are, at any one time, just as lost – or ahead – as the rest.  In many ways this is great because it means I get to grow with those around me, but in many ways it really is just the blind leading the blind.  Which brings me to this:

Lead where you can (because we’re all leaders, really).

Whether you’re flipping burgers at BK or solving the world’s problems at the IMF, leading by example should be your default.  There’s no time to sit back and agonize over every little detail – planning just enough to not be a total screw up is fine, but do keep in mind that life is short (so don’t waste it).  Of course, this means different things for different people (slow for one is fast for another), so remember this, too:

Just be nice.

To everyone.  Most of the time.  Because frankly, while life is too short to dally, it’s also too short to feel – or foment – sourness in any form.  I think we all fight this lesson every day: it’s always easy to be dismissive, curt, or cynical, so do the opposite!  I’m lucky because it’s part of who I am (I like to please), but I urge us all to spread a smile and make someone’s day, make another happy, where possible.

Which leads to the final thought:

Happiness is now.

Maybe yesterday. Definitely today. But certainly not tomorrow. I constantly fight this one: I want to iron out this kink or that; buy one thing or another; make more time, more friends, more money; find a calling, build a business; surf more, have more free time, meet more people, fall in love…

I look forward to all these things, and worry about them when I’m doing them, when that’s the last thing I should be doing.  They are definitely part of the key to my happiness, but they aren’t going to happen tomorrow.  Or the next day.  Or next year.  The key to true happiness is recognizing that these things are all possible now.  That waiting for tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, will do nothing more than doom you to a life of “What if?” and “If only…”

Take chances, risk just enough to know you’re alive, stay true to yourself (recognizing that you change on a daily basis), and, as my mum always says, “everything will come out in the wash.”